The MICHELIN Guide today unveils its 2026 hotel selection, now available across the MICHELIN Guide’s platforms (The 2025 MICHELIN Key Hotels: A Guide to the Global Selection), where travelers can explore the new selection, discover each hotel’s MICHELIN Key distinction and find inspiration for their next stay.
After months of anonymous visits, the MICHELIN Guide inspectors have selected 470 new hotels across 79 destinations. The 2026 selection introduces MICHELIN Keys in 10 destinations for the first time, while more than 80 hotels have been promoted within the selection.
For Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guide, the growth of the hotel selection comes at a particularly interesting moment for the industry. As the Guide expands its presence across the world of hospitality and lifestyle, he points to the role of independent and boutique hotels in keeping the sector moving forward.
From Hidden Gems to Modern Icons: A Diverse World of Stays
This year’s additions highlight the variety of the hotel landscape. The new MICHELIN Key hotels include hotels of all sizes, styles, settings, and price points
The MICHELIN Guide’s global hotel selection now spans over 9.400 hotels, including 2.832 hotels awarded a MICHELIN Key. More than 2.200 hotels have been added to the global selection since last year’s MICHELIN Key announcement in October 2025.
Europe and Asia recorded the largest numbers of new additions. There was significant growth in France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom, as well as in China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand and Saudi Arabia.
The Americas also saw notable additions in Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico and the United States, while Inspectors were particularly impressed by the strength of this year’s new selections across Africa and Oceania.
The MICHELIN Key is also reaching new destinations. In 2026, hotels in Armenia, Benin, Botswana, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein, Mongolia, Myanmar, Rwanda, Slovakia and Zimbabwe receive MICHELIN Keys for the first time.
Of the 2.832 MICHELIN Key hotels, 155 hold Three Keys, 657 hold Two Keys and 2.020 hold One Key. France and Italy lead Europe, with around 220 Keys in each destination. Further across Europe, there are now more than 1,300 MICHELIN Key hotels in more than 35 destinations.
New Three-Key hotels join the selection
The MICHELIN Guide's highest hotel distinction welcomes 18 new Three-Key properties in 2026, with six in Asia, eight in Europe, two in Oceania, one in Africa and one in the Americas.
Among this year's new additions are Borgo Santandrea on Italy's Amalfi Coast and Southern Ocean Lodge in Australia, both recognized for offering an extraordinary level of hospitality. Together, the new Three-Key hotels reflect the exceptional diversity of the world’s most remarkable hospitality experiences.
Four Special Awards, Four Ways to Stand Out
The 2026 selection also highlights four hotels whose distinctive approach to hospitality caught the attention of MICHELIN Guide inspectors, with Special Awards spanning architecture and design, wellness, new openings and connection to place.
The MICHELIN Guide Architecture & Design Award goes to Desert Rock Resort in Umluj, Saudi Arabia, a striking property carved into the landscape of the Hijaz Mountains.
The MICHELIN Guide Wellness Award highlights Schloss Elmau Luxury Spa Retreat & Cultural Hideaway in Elmau, Germany, for its particularly rich and varied approach to wellness.
The MICHELIN Guide Opening of the Year Award celebrates Airelles Palladio Venice in Venice, Italy, the first Airelles property outside France and a new arrival overlooking the Giudecca Canal.
The MICHELIN Guide Local Gateway Award spotlights Londolozi Game Reserve in Kruger, South Africa, a pioneering safari property with a long history of connecting guests with the landscape and culture of the region.
A Closer Look at the 2026 Selection
North & Central America + Caribbean
The 2026 MICHELIN Guide Key selection brings over 100 new Keys and promotions across more than 10 destinations in North and Central America and the Caribbean. The United States, Mexico and Canada all receive updated distinctions, with 65 new Keys in the US alone and new additions in major cities including Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, New Orleans, New York City and Montreal. Costa Rica is home to the only new Three-Key hotel in the Americas: Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, promoted from Two to Three Keys. Other notable additions include Cataloochee Ranch and The Swag near Great Smoky Mountains National Park, as well as Hotel Sevilla in Mérida, Mexico, recognized with its first MICHELIN Key following a creative restoration of a historic building.
South America
Across South America, the 2026 selection adds 20 new Keys and promotions across six destinations, bringing the continent’s total to 94 Key hotels. Five hotels hold Three Keys, with new distinctions and promotions across Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Uruguay. In Colombia, Cinco Quintas Hotel Boutique is among five new Key hotels, while Explora Rapa Nui in Easter Island has been promoted to Two Keys. Peru’s Las Casitas retains its Three-Key distinction for a second consecutive year, offering an exceptional setting from which to discover the Andes and the Colca Valley.
Europe
Europe’s 2026 selection now includes 1.338 MICHELIN Key hotels across more than 35 destinations, with 194 new Keys and promotions this year. Seven hotels have been promoted to Three Keys, while Slovakia and Liechtenstein receive their first-ever MICHELIN Keys. Italy leads the continent with 224 Key hotels, followed by France with 220, while Germany has 130 Key hotels and the UK has 131. The selection stretches from ski retreats in Andorra and wine estates in Georgia to striking contemporary properties in Norway. Highlights include Borgo Santandrea on the Amalfi Coast, promoted to Three Keys, Les Sources de Vougeot in Burgundy, one of France’s two new Two-Key hotels, and Park Hotel Sonnenhof in Vaduz, the first Key hotel in Liechtenstein.
Africa
Africa’s 2026 MICHELIN Guide selection expands to 113 Key hotels, with 28 new Keys and promotions. Four destinations - Benin, Botswana, Rwanda and Zimbabwe - receive their first-ever MICHELIN Keys, further expanding the Guide’s presence across the continent. Delaire Graff Estate in Stellenbosch becomes Africa’s newest Three-Key hotel, while One&Only Gorilla’s Nest joins Rwanda’s growing Key selection, offering access to gorilla trekking in the Virunga Mountains. In Fez, Morocco, Riad Mayfez Suites & Spa is a new One-Key addition, recognised for its distinctive riad experience.
Asia & the Middle East
The 2026 selection across Asia and the Middle East includes 600 MICHELIN Key hotels, with 173 new Keys and promotions and 34 Three-Key properties. The MICHELIN Key selection also reaches four destinations for the first time: Mongolia, Myanmar, Armenia and Kazakhstan, while updated selections across destinations including Japan, China, India, Indonesia, the Maldives, Singapore and Vietnam continue to broaden the Guide’s reach. Soneva Secret in the Maldives is the only new Three-Key hotel this year in Asia, while Shinta Mani Wild in Cambodia joins the selection with a new Two-Key distinction. In Beijing, Yanbai Villa is a new One-Key addition.
Oceania
Oceania’s 2026 selection adds 37 new Keys and promotions, bringing the region’s total to 92 Key hotels. The selection spans Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and French Polynesia, from remote island resorts to architectural gems and distinctive city hotels. Southern Ocean Lodge in Australia has been promoted from Two to Three Keys, while Rosewood Matakauri in Queenstown moves from One to Two Keys. In Sydney, The Porter House Hotel Sydney – MGallery joins the selection with a new One Key, adding a contemporary urban property to a region known for its exceptional destination hotels.
Hospitality Trends Seen by MICHELIN Guide Inspectors
Beyond individual hotels, the MICHELIN Guide Inspectors see a hospitality landscape shaped by changing travel habits and increasingly diverse guest expectations:
Slow and more immersive travel: Travelers are spending longer in fewer places and increasingly choosing less crowded, more accessible destinations.
More fluid travel: The lines between business and leisure continue to blur, while guests move more freely between travel styles, budgets and experiences.
A new take on luxury: From “rough luxury” and outdoor experiences to private villas and residential hospitality, travelers are seeking privacy, authenticity and a stronger connection to place.
Wellness beyond the spa: Hotels are expanding into more sophisticated wellness and fitness offerings, reflecting a growing focus on physical and mental well-being.
Design made for discovery: Bold, highly visual interiors are increasingly designed to capture attention, while service, atmosphere and sense of place remain essential to the guest experience.
Luxury takes to the water: New concepts such as Four Seasons Yachts, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection and Aman at Sea are bringing the luxury hotel experience to the sea.
The 2026 MICHELIN Key Selection at a Glance
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One MICHELIN Key | 2020 |
Two MICHELIN Keys | 657 |
Three MICHELIN Keys | 155 |
Total MICHELIN Key hotels | 2.832 |
New MICHELIN Key hotels joining the selection | 470 |
New Three-Key hotels (including promotions) New Two-Key hotels (including promotions) | 18 120 |
Hotels promoted within the selection | 80+ |
About the MICHELIN Guide Hotel Selection
The MICHELIN Guide’s hotel selection is based on the work of its inspectors, who travel anonymously and independently to identify hotels offering outstanding experiences. The selection spans a wide range of properties, from historic landmarks and grand hotels to independent boutiques, remote retreats and innovative new openings.
The MICHELIN Key is the hotel distinction awarded by the MICHELIN Guide, equivalent to the MICHELIN Star for restaurants. Introduced in 2024 across 15 destinations in North America, Europe and Asia, the MICHELIN Key has since expanded into a global distinction.
Hotels are awarded One, Two or Three MICHELIN Keys, according to the level of experience they offer:
One MICHELIN Key: A very special stay.
Two MICHELIN Keys: An exceptional stay.
Three MICHELIN Keys: An extraordinary stay.
About Michelin:
Michelin is building a world-leading manufacturer of life-changing composites and experiences. Pioneering engineered materials for more than 130 years, Michelin is uniquely positioned to make decisive contributions to human progress and to a more sustainable world. Drawing on its deep know-how in polymer composites, Michelin is constantly innovating to manufacture high-quality tires and components for critical applications in demanding fields as varied as mobility, construction, aeronautics, low-carbon energies, and healthcare. The care placed in its products and deep customer knowledge inspire Michelin to offer the finest experiences. This spans from providing data- and AI-based connected solutions for professional fleets to recommending outstanding restaurants and hotels curated by the MICHELIN Guide. Headquartered in Clermont-Ferrand, France, Michelin is present in 175 countries and employs 122,600 people.